17 Most Haunted Places in San Antonio

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From the bloody battle of The Alamo in 1836 to organized crime and bootlegging during Prohibition, San Antonio is a city steeped in history. It is also known as a hotbed of paranormal activity. Keep reading to learn about the 17 most haunted places in San Antonio, Texas.

Every neighborhood has its scary stories and sordid histories. San Antonio is home to the third most haunted hotel in the world and is one of the most haunted cities in Texas.

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Most Haunted Places in San Antonio

The Most Haunted Places in San Antonio

Arguably the most historically significant city in Texas, San Antonio boasts majestic tourist destinations such as the historic Riverwalk District, family destinations like Six Flags theme park and Sea World, along with a rich and diverse culture unlike any other.

However, beneath the veil of rich history and entertainment lies an eerie and paranormal world that few dare to venture into. Let’s take a trip into this eerie world of ghost adventures and discover what lies within San Antonio’s most haunted and storied sites.

1. The Alamo

The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas

You can’t mention San Antonio without first discussing its most storied tourist destination. The battle of The Alamo was fought between Texian and Mexican forces in 1836, resulting in a Mexican victory and the deaths of thousands.

Accounts of an apparition of a Mexican soldier still wandering the grounds of The Alamo haunts tourists to this day. There have been tales of a little blonde-haired boy that peers out the front windows in the night. Whispers and footsteps can be heard echoing through the fortress assuring all that we always “Remember the Alamo”.

Alamo location: 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205

2. The Crockett Hotel

The Crockett Hotel
Photo Credit: The Crockett Hotel

Many haunted spots surrounding The Alamo can be traced back to the bloody battle, which was such a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution.

Sitting just steps away from The Alamo, The Crockett Hotel is one of them. Named after the infamous Davy Crockett, guests have said his spirit has been known to pop in from time to time. Employees have witnessed doors and windows opening and shutting on their own, glass bottles will fall off shelves, and elevators will skip floors. Paranormal thrill seekers… you’ll want to book your next stay at The Crockett Hotel!

Check out reviews of The Crockett Hotel on TripAdvisor or find the best hotel rates at Hotels.com

Crockett Hotel Address: 320 Bonham, San Antonio, TX 78205

3. The Emily Morgan Hotel

The Emily Morgan Hotel
Photo Credit: The Emily Morgan Hotel

While we’re on the subject of haunted hotels, let’s visit the eeriest of all; The Emily Morgan Hotel. Located right next to the historic Alamo Plaza, the Emily Morgan Hotel was recently rated the third most haunted hotel in the entire world.

As you enter the hotel, gothic gargoyles peer down at you from the rooftops. The hotel was originally opened as a hospital in the 1920’s and served as the city’s only morgue.

The top three floors were solely used as operating rooms and recent guests have recalled seeing ghostly nurses pushing gurneys down the hallways. Hotel staff have shared ghost sightings on the top floor including cold spots and it will periodically smell of antiseptics and odors reminiscent of a hospital.

Stay on the twelfth floor and you might be awakened by a running faucet in your bathroom, or the creaking of your door opening unprovoked.

Check out reviews of The Emily Morgan Hotel on TripAdvisor or find the best hotel rates at Hotels.com

Emily Morgan Hotel Address: 705 E Houston St Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205

4. Woman Hollering Creek

The name says it all. Named for La Llorona (Spanish for “The Crier”), legend tells of a woman who gave birth to twins and after the lost love of a man who iterated his disdain for children, La Llorona drowned both children in the creek. It is said that she wanders the area crying aloud to find her children’s bones so they can get to heaven. There are even tales of ghost hunters getting too close to the water and getting pulled in, never to return.

Location: located near interstate highway 10 between Seguin and San Antonio

5. The Haunted Railroad Tracks

in the 1930’s, at the intersection of Villamain and Shane there was a fiery collision between a train and stalled van that claimed the lives of at least ten school children. Legend has it that if you park your car on the train tracks of that intersection ghostly children will come and push your car from behind and off the tracks.

6. The San Fernando Cathedral

The San Fernando Cathedral

Located in San Antonio’s main plaza stands the oldest church in Texas. In the early years after the construction of The San Fernando Cathedral, people were buried in the walls of the historical structure. The spirits of those in the walls are said to be the dark shadows that will periodically float along the walls of the cathedral. Gaping mouths and hollow eyes replicating that of a skull will appear and disappear on the rock walls of the exterior of the building.

The San Fernando Cathedral Address: 115 Main Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205

7. The Empire Theatre

The Empire Theatre was built as an opera house in 1913 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Today it is known as the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre. Even though there have been renovations and reconstruction within the theatre, you will be startled by random and drastic drops in temperature, scratching within the walls, and even hear footsteps tapping up the staircases.

If you are lucky, or unlucky, enough you can even meet the man asking for 25 cents outside the front door, but he will disappear into thin air before you can reach into your pocket for a quarter.

Charline McCombs Empire Theatre Address: 226 N. St. Mary’s St. San Antonio Texas 78205

8. Victoria’s Black Swan Inn

Victoria's Black Swan Inn
Photo Credit: Victoria’s Black Swan Inn

Constructed on the grounds of the Battle of Salado Creek, the 150-year-old hotel has multiple friendly apparitions that frequent the rooms and hallways. A ghostly child will come out to play when children are in the hotel, and in an upstairs bedroom, a woman in a white gown is often spotted seated on a bed and wandering the halls of the inn waiting for her lost love to return from battle.

While you can no longer book an overnight stay at the Inn, they do offer a variety of ghost tours and paranormal investigations.

Victoria’s Black Swan Inn Address: 1006 Holbrook Road, San Antonio, TX 78218

9. The Menger Hotel

Another hotel built in close proximity to The Alamo, The Menger Hotel was opened in 1859 and is over 160 years old. It is known for its renowned Victorian architecture, but also as one of the most haunted places in Texas. The hotel is rumored to be haunted by more than 40 ghostly spirits. One of the Menger Hotel Bar’s most famous ghostly guests is the spirit of former President Teddy Roosevelt (dressed in his old military uniform).

The hotel is also known for another ghost by the name of Sallie White. Sallie was a chambermaid that was murdered in the hotel by her husband. Legend claims that Sallie will roam the halls of the hotel in her Victorian maid outfit carrying towels for guests.

Check out reviews of The Menger Hotel on TripAdvisor or find the best hotel rates at Hotels.com

The Menger Hotel Address: 204 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX, 78205

10. The Devil’s Bridge

One of the more obscure spooky spots in San Antonio, The Devil’s Bridge is located near the San Juan Mission and Ashley Road. The pungent smell of sulfur permeates the night air representing something demonic is afoot around this bridge. If this overwhelming presence isn’t enough, legend states that if you throw a rock into the water, you won’t see or hear a splash as the ominous darkness begins to intensify all around you.

11. The Terrell Castle

Lambermont Events
Photo Credit: Lambermont Events

Also known as The Lambermont, the Terrell Castle was constructed for a lawyer by the name of Edwin Terrell in the late 1800s. Multiple suicides occurred within the confines of the castle before Mr. Terrell took his own life as well. Ghosts or otherworldly entities are the only explanation for the paranormal events such as televisions flying off of tables, echoes of children playing on the second floor, and the smell of cigars that permeates the library.

The Terrell Castle Address: 950 E Grayson St, San Antonio, TX 78208

12. The King William District

Much like the French Quarter in New Orleans, the King William District is known for its beautiful and alluring mansions, popular restaurants, and haunted history. Resting alongside the shores of the San Antonio River this area is known by locals as the most ghostly area in San Antonio. From the Oge House to the haunted house at 123 Cedar Street, these places boast a chilling past including shadowy images, disappearing reflections in windows, and even the reappearing spirit of a ten-year-old girl that tragically drowned in the San Antonio River.

King William District is between Durango, South St. Mary’s, Eagleland and the San Antonio River.

13. Donkey Lady Bridge

Texas has plenty of ghost stories, but one of the oldest and most popular is that of the Donkey Lady Bridge. A paranormal entity known as the “Donkey Lady” is rumored to lurk near the bridge, seeking vengeance for the horrible tragedy she endured as a young woman was tragically disfigured in a fire. If you’re brave enough to seek out the Donkey Lady for yourself, visit the bridge after dark. Simply call out her name, and she just might appear

Donkey Lady Bridge Location: Applewhite Rd (near S Zarzamora St), San Antonio, TX 78264

14. The Cadillac Bar

Located at 212 South Flores Street, this historical bar is not even a mile from The Alamo. Throughout the long history of the bar, staff members have complained of run-ins with the ghost of Beatrice, a disgruntled ex-employee that reeks havoc by throwing kitchen utensils and turning faucets off and on. Built on a burial ground, spirits of dead soldiers that haunted the basement were reason enough to permanently close it off in recent years. But, there are still ghostly apparitions of Beatrice in the main bar!

Unfortunately, it is currently closed, but many of the local ghost tours still stop outside for a glimpse of Beatrice. We’ll keep you updated if the location re-opens or a new business is brave enough to take on the lease and the ghosts!

15. Bar 414

Let’s finish up our eerie tour around San Antonio with our only open bar on the list! Bar 414 is located inside The Gunter Hotel and pays homage to the history of the Hotel with prohibition-era cocktails and bootleg spirits in a speakeasy ambiance.

While having a cocktail at Bar 414, you might catch a glimpse of the ghost of Walter Emerick or the blonde woman he is said to have butchered. Emerick was found standing over a bloody bed with his finger to his lips; as in be quiet. Emerick later committed suicide at the St. Anthony’s Hotel. This bar has an earned placed on our list of the most haunted places in San Antonio.

Bar 414 Address: 205 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Additional Haunted Hotels in San Antonio

San Antonio is one of the most haunted cities in Texas, so it’s no surprise there are many hotels that report more than strange noises and ghostly sightings during the night.

16. St. Anthony Hotel

Guests have reported odd things happening during nighttime hours, like elevators operating on their own or The Lady In Red wandering the halls, and of course – audible footsteps following you on the most haunted, 10th floor!

Check out reviews of St. Anthony Hotel on TripAdvisor or find the best hotel rates at Hotels.com

17. Magnolia Hotel

Magnolia Hotel built in 1840 is considered to be the most haunted hotel in Texas. paranormal investigators from the Travel Channel xx . During 1874, the Magnolia Hotel was known as the Inn that housed New Braunfels’ most heinous murderer.

Check out reviews of St. Anthony Hotel on TripAdvisor or find the best hotel rates at Hotels.com

The Best San Antonio Ghost Tours

If you want to hear more detailed stories about the most haunted spots in San Antonio, there is no better option than a ghost tour. Tour guides know the true stories about shadowy figures, paranormal activity and urban legends that call San Antonio home.

The below ghost tours are with the company Get Your Guide. They offer great tour options. Below are a few of the best ghost tours in San Antonio.

  • San Antonio: River City Ghosts Haunted Walking Tour. Dive into San Antonio’s dark past to discover why it’s one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. on this 1.5 hour tour.
  • San Antonio: Guided Haunted Pub Crawl. Experience the haunted side of San Antonio on this guided pub crawl. Hear about the city’s ghostly residents while sipping on drinks in the Menger Hotel, Oro at the Emily Morgan Hotel, Maverick Whiskey Distillery, and the Haunt Bar at St. Anthony Hotel.
  • San Antonio: The Madames and Mayhem Ghost Tour. Visit some of the most haunted places in San Antonio on this spooky Ghost Tour of the San Antonio Historic District. Listen as your expert guide tells you about all the fascinating ghosts of the old San Antonio Red Light District.

A guided boat tour down the Riverwalk, catching a mariachi band at one of San Antonio’s finest restaurants, or simply taking the kids to one of its many theme parks are all reason enough for anyone to brave the paranormal undertones that exist under (and sometimes within) the walls of this beautiful and culturally rich city!

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